20 Jun 2017

Acting President, Mr Mokgweetsi Masisi has handed over a minibus donated by Car Wings Company to Bikwe residents to transport pupils in the village.

Handing over the minibus, Mr Masisi, who is also the area MP, told residents in a kgotla meeting  on Monday that he contacted the company and asked for the gift.

Mr Masisi said the combi would be transporting learners to school at Manyana and back.

He said the combi operation would be coordinated by Bikwe Methodist Church, who would employ a qualified driver and take care of its routine maintenance as well as insure it.

Mr Masisi commended Car Wings for uplifting communities and supporting government efforts to uplift lives and fight poverty.

He said the donation was one of the achievements from the joint efforts between him and community members. The vice president also donated 50 blankets to residents.

Meanwhile, Mr Masisi expressed delight that Bikwe has been declared a recognised ward attached to Manyana village, assuring them that it would be catered for in National Development Plan. He also said land board would allocate plots in their area with ease and that other developments would follow. He encouraged Village Development Committees (VDCs) to work together to raise money to elevate some of the developments in their village.

Mr Masisi also urged Southern District Council to advise VDCs on issues of governance. He said most of VDCs countrywide were losing a lot of money due to poor management. He said most of them had houses to let, but were not accumulating wealth due to poor governance.

On other issues, Mr Masisi advised Batswana to position themselves in a way that they would benefit from the Economic Stimulus Programme.

He highlighted that Poverty Eradication Programmes were meant only for people living in abject poverty to the extent that they did not have basic necessities such as shelter or food.

He said government had taken a lead by introducing various empowerment programmes geared towards bettering the lives of all Batswana, such as the Poverty Eradication Programme and the President’s Housing Appeal.

Bikwe residents were happy that the long awaited combi had finally arrived. They praised MP Masisi for advocating for them.

For his part, Reverend Mpho Letsholo of Methodist Church thanked the Vice President for honouring his obligation to support Bikwe electorate. Reverend Letsholo indicated that small children would be schooling any hindrance.

Kgosi Kebinatshwene Mosielele of Manyana said although crime was relatively low in the village, the major area of concern was illegal sand mining from local rivers. BOPA